Author Biography

Olimaric Salas is a starting freshman at Utah State University. She is the youngest in her family. Her and her family are from Venezuela, a country in South America, but they moved to Sandy, Utah about 6 years ago. Oli loves to be social and be around her friends, she loves listening to music and playing lacrosse. Oli is currently wanting to major in interior design, and build her own business in the future.

This essay was composed in December 2023 and uses MLA documentation.

I remember when I first moved from my Spanish-speaking country to the United States, where I soon after got enrolled in middle school with no prior knowledge; of the language it was like diving into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. Just the horrific thought of not being able to communicate with others, and the feeling of others chattering away about me in a code I couldn’t crack, it felt like the world was against me. After a while, with the little help that I got from our school programs, and a lot of movies and tv shows being watched in english even though I couldn’t understand a single word, I finally started to pick up on some basic phrases, and after a lot of hard work, I managed to start being able to communicate smoothly with my other english-speaking peers. Going back to it, it got me thinking about how much faster I would’ve learned English if I had the right resources, and how important and beneficial it could be to start adding multilingual education to school curriculum.

Multilingual education involves a teaching approach where students are exposed to and taught in multiple languages, which enables them to gain proficiency and fluency in more than just one language.  This ability to communicate in multiple languages can be super beneficial in our developing interconnected world, so implementing multilingual education as early as in elementary school, can bring positive effects in both short and long term. As time goes by, many of us have encountered how there has been a big adoption of multilingual education in the classroom due to higher rates of immigrants from all around the world. Data from the last 25 years and projections into the future demonstrate the number of multilingual teachers and how the need has increased steadily over the past 25 years and is projected to continue to increase over the next 25. Relatedly, world language classes have also increased rapidly over the past few years, with projections that it will continue to increase in the future. This data suggests that there is a growing demand for multilingual education, which is likely due to the increasing diversity of the population and the growing recognition of the benefits of multilingual practices. But in what ways can this be beneficial?

One of the biggest benefits is how promoting multilingualism in the classroom can have a greater impact at making an inclusive environment. Lindsey W. Rowe’s research shows how fostering multilingualism as early as in elementary school can disrupt what’s called the English-only ideology, which is the belief that the English language should be the only language used everywhere, which often fosters marginalization of other languages. According to Rowe’s research, “Working towards creating classrooms that foster biliteracy is a humanizing, culturally sustaining practice, as it positions students’ knowledge and experiences in using languages beyond English as valuable practices to be included, supported, and sustained in the classroom.” (Rowe). She emphasizes that when classrooms support the practice of different languages, they recognize and validate student’s knowledge and experiences in using languages other than English. She also explains how cultural richness and the value of a student’s home language background can help each student feel included in the classroom setting.

Looking further into the topic of inclusive environments, Angela Creese, a scholar specializing in Linguistic Ethnography, wrote a research paper that gives us insights into languages, where she emphasizes the importance of an inclusive language curriculum that embraces a multilingual perspective (Creese). She advocates for the right use of all languages within a community, where Creese explains languages as valuable resources for learning. She states “An inclusive language curriculum with a multilingual perspective values all the languages in the community by using those languages that are shared as resources for learning across the curriculum to provide ‘cognitive challenge and enrichment for all’ rather than restricting their use.” That is to say that practicing multilingualism seeks to empower students by validating their home languages, ultimately offering an inclusive environment where learners can draw from their linguistic backgrounds to engage meaningfully not just with educational content, but their peers as well.

Similarly, this idea correlates with Daniel and Pacheco’s journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, which really focuses on translanguaging practices and perspectives among multilingual students. According to these journalists, “By implementing multilingual practices, teachers can transform what counts as academic knowledge and public discourse in the classroom to meet the needs of linguistically diverse students.” This explains that it is more about the idea that embracing multilingualism in educational settings goes beyond simply acknowledging diverse languages, but rather educators using these multilingual practices intentionally to help the academic knowledge. It also explains how teachers have the opportunity to ‘broaden the scope’ of what is considered valuable or acceptable in academic settings, which has the potential to challenge traditional monolingual norms in education and leans towards the recognition that linguistic diversity brings richness to the classroom. Furthermore, it emphasizes the potential of multilingual practices in education, and advocates for an inclusive approach that values and incorporates language diversity of students to better their learning experiences and academic achievements.

To put this into perspective, imagine you go to a foreign country, or simply a house where the people are communicating in a language you don’t speak nor understand, this makes you feel uncomfortable because you are not able to perform a simple task as talking is, and you start feeling out of place. If we start promoting multilingualism in early education, multilingual environments enables people to communicate with others from diverse linguistic backgrounds, specially in the type of scenario just mentioned, where you don’t speak the dominant language, but if we promote multilingualism, it allows you to find people whom you can communicate with in the language you guys share in common, alleviating discomfort and facilitating interactions.

Some people may argue that putting too much emphasis on teaching many languages at once can potentially confuse and delay language proficiency in a primary language. They suggest that when students hear and learn various languages simultaneously, they might mix vocabulary, and grammar which can potentially interfere with each student’s grasp of each language’s structures (Genesee). Many psychologists and anthropologists have conducted research studies that explore the cognitive advantages and effects of multilingualism on an individual’s development, especially in children. Ellen Bialystok, a former psychologist, ran various studies and research throughout many years, where her work revolves around the cognitive benefits that bilingualism offers, furthermore also exploring the impact of multilingualism on brain function. Bialystok research actually provides evidence that suggests that exposure to multiple languages at once can actually enhance language skills. Her studies demonstrate that managing and switching better multiple languages can strengthen different functions such as problem- solving, and multitasking abilities. Overall, rather than causing confusion, multilingual education and the constant practice of managing different languages can actually help exercise and improve cognitive control systems, which at the end battles the concerns of multilingual education potentially confusing and delaying language proficiency in a primary language.

Another important aspect to consider about multilingual education is how it has the potential to prepare students for participation in an interconnected world. This entails that our world is going through a face of integration among countries, economies, cultures, and individuals, and we are constantly being exposed to different cultures (The Journal of Globalization Studies). Leading experts in the field of applied linguistics, such as Stephen May, emphasize that, “In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to communicate in multiple languages with users of other languages is crucial; multilingual language education enables such communication and facilitates cross-cultural collaboration.” The author emphasizes that the practice of multilingualism can help people communicate with others who speak different languages and make it easier for diverse cultures to work together and collaborate effectively.

Expanding on this idea, other sources argue that students who are able to speak multiple languages and have a deep understanding of different cultures have the ability to contribute to societies that are diverse. It is actively argued that these students could serve as connectors or bridges between groups, which can ultimately help reduce divisions and conflicts that can arise due to differences in language or culture. Jim Cummins, former promoter of English second language (ESL) student’s academics, argues that individuals that are proficient in several languages can engage in cross-cultural dialogue, and it can open up opportunities for international careers, business ventures, and overall success in this world where diverse language skills are highly valued.

This idea reminds me of a time where I was looking for a job. I went and applied to work at an amusement park, where I got an interview soon after. I remember speaking to the manager about the rules and regulations I had to follow if we both decided to move forward with this job. He then proceeded to ask me if I spoke any other languages, to which I said that I am bilingual. This simple question gave me more chances of getting this job because the manager was looking for people that could communicate with customers that spoke different languages. This interaction is able to show that the ability to communicate in multiple languages effectively is a valuable asset, enabling me to connect with and serve diverse communities. It also demonstrates one of the many potential advantages of multilingualism in different settings, including professional interactions.

Despite this claim, an alternative perspective suggests that focusing on investing resources towards multilingual education can divert time, attention, and funding from other essential subjects like math, science, or literacy. There is the concern that implementing this practice requires additional resources, such as specific instructional materials and teacher training, as well as bilingual textbooks, and learning materials in different languages (Munoz-Sandoval). And some might even argue that the cost of adding these practices could potentially divert the overall budget of the school (de Jong). While it is true that this practice may demand more, studies also suggest that the advantages of such programs outweigh this idea. When multilingual education is well-designed, and structured with a balanced curriculum planning, it actually can improve skills that can positively influence academic performance, as well as promotion of core academic skills. There are also many different approaches that can be taken while figuring out what type of programs might work best for the institution, some of the programs already being implemented worldwide being the Dual Language Immersion Programs, which provides instruction in two languages, where students receive content-based instruction in both languages. As well as Foreign Language Immersion Programs which focuses on immersive language learning, where students are constantly taught subjects in a foreign language. Research also suggests that there is clear evidence that these programs are a promising option for closing the gap and promoting language development (Tong).

Having explored the different aspects of multilingual education and how promoting these practices starting in elementary schools affect students, it becomes evident that implementing multilingual education can have significant benefits despite some concerns regarding how useful this skill can be. The research does demonstrate that exposure to multiple languages can enhance cognitive abilities and language development overall, and more importantly, it has the ability to help incorporate diverse languages in the classroom and facilitate an inclusive environment that cares for student’s backgrounds and promotes dialogue between different cultures. And while it does demand thoughtful planning and design, studies indicate that the advantages are able to outweigh the potential drawbacks discussed. Overall, embracing diverse languages has the potential to grant students equitable access to knowledge, affirms, identity, and it promotes cultural empathy. So by normalizing multilingualism, students gain valuable tools to navigate and bridge divides in our diverse society, which fosters empathy and insight across languages and cultures itself.

Works Cited

Creese, Angela, and Adrian Blackledge. “Translanguaging in the Bilingual Classroom: A Pedagogy for Learning and Teaching?” The Modern Language Journal, vol. 94, no. 1, 2010, pp. 103–15. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25612290.

Cummins, Jim. “Rethinking Pedagogical Assumptions in Canadian French Immersion Programs.” Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, vol. 2, no. 1, 2014, pp. 3–22, https://doi.org10.1075/jicb.2.1.01cum.

Daniel, Shannon M., and Mark B. Pacheco. “Translanguaging Practices and Perspectives of Four Multilingual Teens.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 59, no. 6, May 2016, pp. 653–63. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1002/jaal.500.

“Disrupting Monolingual Ideologies: Constructing Biliterate Composing Practices in a Second‐grade Classroom.” Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 4, Oct. 2022, pp. 1149–66. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1002/rrq.465.

Genesee, Fred. “Early Dual Language Learning.” Zero to Three, vol. 25, no. 1, 2004, pp. 3-9.

May, Stephen. “The Multilingual Turn.” World Englishes, vol. 35, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 475–77. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1111/weng.12216.

Minami, Masahiko. “Bilingualism in Development (Book).” Bilingual Research Journal, vol. 26, no. 3, Fall 2002, p. 729. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1080/15235882.2002.10162587.

“The Bilingual Education Advantage.” Ed100.org, https://ed100.org/blog/the-bilingual-education-advantage.

Tong, Fuhui, et al. “Accelerating Early Academic Oral English Development in Transitional Bilingual and Structured English Immersion Programs.” American Educational Research Journal, vol. 45, no. 4, Dec. 2008, pp. 1011–44. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831208320790.